Selective cooling and heating system for automobile-radiators



H. J. PETERSON.

SELECTIVE COOLING AND HEATING SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1918.

l,353,41 8. PatentedSept. 21, 1920.

R &

State of Idaho,

JNETEE STATES Parent ol -rice.

HORACE T. PETERSON, OF MONTPELIER, IDAHO.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Sept. 21, 192() Application filed February 19, 1918. Serial No. 218,097.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HORACE J. -PETERSON, citizen of the United States, residing at Montpelier, in the county of Bear Lakeand have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Selective Cooling and Heating Systems for Automobile- Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cooling and heating systems for the radiators of automobiles and similar vehicles and has as one of its primary aims to provide a system which is selective in its character, or in other words, which will permit of the water in the radiator being cooled in summer and heated in winter, so as to.in the first instance cool the engine and in the second instance prevent freezing of the water both in the radiator and in the water jacket of the engine.

The well-known honeycomb type of radiator is the source of much trouble in the operation and up-keep of an automobile for the reason that such a radiator is easily damaged, being more or less frail in its structure, and is, therefore, liable to require frequent repair in order .to avoid or stop leaks. Yet as a cooling system utilizing water as the cooling agent possesses many advantages over an air cooling system em-,

ploying foriexample a cooling fan requir: ing to be driven, it is desirable to adhere to the use of water in cooling the engines of automobiles and similar vehicles. The

present invention, therefore, aims to provlde an engine cooling-system employing water as the cooling agent and yet permitting of the employment .of a radiator of substantial construction and practically in the nature of awater tank having conducting pipes leading to and from the water jacket of the engine. Obviously an integral and solidly constructed tank radiator possesses none of the disadvantages of a honeycomb or similar type of radiator and, therefore, by the use of the present invention the annoyance and expense incident to leakage repairs is practically entirely obviated and the radiator is better adapted to withstand shocks and jars.

So far as efficient performance of their function is concerned, honeycomb and similar radiators employing water as .the cooling agent, are satisfactory. but they serve but a single purpose, WhlCh is to cool the engine, and in the winter months they become a source of annoyance and expense due to likelihood of freezing of the water there-.

in. Therefore, as before stated, it is one of the primary aims of the invention to provide a single means which may be most effectually employed in moderate months in cooling the engine and in colder months in maintaining the water in the water jacket at the desired degree of temperature and preventing its freezing in the water jacket and also in the radiator pipes of the system.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the system embodying the present invention, parts being shown in elevation and the system being illustrated as installed within the hood of an automobile Fig. 2 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional View through a portion of the system.

Briefly stated, the selective cooling and heating system embodying the present invention makes use of a volatile refrigerant in order to produce the desired cooling effeet and contemplates the utilization of a and the conducting portion of the heat from the exhaust from the engine in volatilizing the refrigerant and producing the desired heating effect when the system is to'be employed in keeping the temperature of-the water in the radiator and water jacket at the desired elevated degree and so far as a-ttainance of the first-mentioned result is concerned, the in vention follows the principle that a great amount of heat is absorbed in the evaporation of a volatile liquid and in the sudden expansion of a gas.

In the drawings the selective cooling and heating system embodying the present invention is illustrated as employed in conjunction with the engine of an automobile, but it will be understood that the system may equally as well be employed in connection with astationary engine. In the said drawings the numeral 1 indicates in general the engine of the automobile, 2 the water jacket surrounding the same, 3 the usual exhaust pipe leading from the engine, and 4 and 5, respectively, the pipes which lead from the water jacket to the radiator and from the radiator to the water jacket. The

radiator is indicated in general by the numeral 6 and the same is preferably in the nature of an integral and solidly constructed tank of the required shape and size, the pipe 4 being connected with the upper portion of the said tank and the pipe 5 with the lower portion thereof so that the water which has, in its circulation through the water jacket, absorbed heat from the engine cylinders, will pass through the pipe 4 to the upper portion of the said tank, and the water cooled in the tank or radiator will return to the water jacket through the pipe 5. As the radiator 6 is, generally, speaking, in the nature of a tank, it will be evident that it may be made in various shapes and designs as well as sizes without departing from the spirit of the invention, the feature which distinguishes it from the radiators of water cooled engines of the ordinary type being that it is devoid of the usual honeycomb construction or the usual water tubes.

The numeral 7 indicates a coil which is to constitute a heating means -or a cooling means, depending upon the use to which the system is put, and this coil is suitably arranged within the radiator tank 6 and has its upper end extending through the rear wall ofthe said-radiator tank near the upper portion thereof, as indicated by the numeral 8, and its lower end extending through the said wall near the bottom thereof, as The numeral 10 indicates a pipe of relatively small internal is suitably located, in the present diameter which, by suitable packing glands 11, is connected with the upper end of the coil 7 and within thesaid end of the coil, the pipe 10 is formed or provided" with a small nozzle 12 which serves a purpose to be presently explained. The pipe 10 at its opposite end is in communication with a storage tank or reservoir v13 in which is contained the refrigerant to be employed, the said end of the pipe 10 leading through the upper end of the said tank 13.. The tank 13 instance within the hood-of the automobile, and the tank is provided in its top with a filling opening closed by a plug 14 whereby ,a'mmonia or any other suitable volatile liquid refrigerant may be poured into the tank. A drain valve 15 leads from the bottom of the tank 13 and serves a purpose to bepresently explained. A pump 16 of any suitable type is also mounted within the hood upon a suitable. support 17, and the piston of the said pump, indicated by the numeral 18, is driven through the rotation of a shaft 19 in turn driven from the engine shaft! The intake of the pump has connected to it one end ofa pipe 20, which pipe at its other end is connected tothe lower end of the coil 7, a check valve 21- being interposed in the length of the pipe 20 and arran ed to open in the direction of the pump. pipe 22 is connected at one end with the discharge through one side wall of the refrigerant -ment in winter months to 'kee and at its other end opens tank 13 and preferably below the normal level of the liquid refrigerant in said tank. A check valve 23 is interposed in the length of the pipe 22 and opens in the direction of the refrigerant tank 13. v

' As heretofore-stated the heat from the exhaust from the engine 1 is utilized in heating the liquid refrigerant to convert the same into a gas, and in order that this may be accomplished, the exhaust pipe 3 is led downwardly through the top wall of the tank 13 and through the said bottom wall thereof so that a suitable length of the exhaust pipe passes directly through the said tank 13 and is immersed in the liquid rcfrigerant contained in the tank.

The operation of the system above described is as follows:

Liquid ammonia is poured into the tank 13 until it has reached about the' level indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. W hen the engine is running the heat from the exhaust pipe extending through the said tank 13 will cause vaporization of the liquid ammonia so that ammonia gas, under a suitable pressure, will pass from the tank 13 and through the pipe 10 and will be discharged through the nozzle 12 into the upper end of the coil 7. As the internal diameter of the pipe comprising the coil 7 is much greater than the internal diameter of the pipe 10, the gas in issuing from the nozzle 12 will suddenly expand within the coil and because of its sudden expansion and passage through the coil 7, will absorb heat from the water contained 100 in the radiator tank thus keeping the water at a low degree of temperature. When the engine is running the pump 16 will, of

course, be continuously operated and as the pump is of such construction as to create 105 suction within the pipe 20, the ammonia gas by the pump 16 within the coil 7 will cause even greater expansion of the gas as it is- 116 sues from the .nozzle 12, and it is evident that in the operation of the system the water within the-radiator will bemaintained at the desired low temperature. F V

In order to adapt the device for employ- 12 the water in the radiator at a desired'e evated temperature and also prevent freezing of the water, it is only necessary to open thedrain valve 15 thereby drawing-off the ammonia 12 from the tank 13, this valve after the ammonia has been drawn-off being left open. Then when the engine is in operation there will be a continuous circulation of air from the tank 13, through the pipe 10, coil 7, pipe 13 is claimed as new is: I

1. In a cooling system for engines, a radiator water tank, a cooling conduit therein, a tank for a liquid refrigerant, and means for creating a circulation of the refrigerant from the refrigerant tank and through the COOllIig conduit.

2. na cooling system for engines, a radiator water tank, a conduit extending therethrough, and means for creating a circulation of a refrigerant through the conduit.

3. In a cooling system for engines, a radiator water tank, a coil therein, a tank for a refrigerant in communication with one end of the coil, and a 'pump in communication with said tank for the refrigerant and with the other end of the said coil.

4. In a cooling system for engines, a radiator water tank, a coil therein, a tank for a refrigerant in communication with one end of the coil, a pump in communication with the said tank for the refrigerant and with the other end of the said coil, the said coil at its first-mentioned end having a restricted inlet.

5. In a cooling system for engines, a radiator water tank, a conduit extending therethrough, a tank for a volatile liquid refrigerant, the said conduit at one end being'in communication with the tankabove the levelof the refrigerant therein, means for heating the refrigerant tank, and means for returning the volatile products from the refrigerant in said tank from the said conduit to the said refrigerant tank.

6. In a cooling system for engines, a radiator water tank, a cooling conduit therein, a refrigerant tank, a pipe leading from the refrigerant tank above the liquid level therein and extending into one end of the conduit and provided with a restricted discharge whereby to provide for rapid expansion of gases issuing from the said pipe into the conduit, and a pump in communication with the conduit and with therefrigerant tank below the liquid level for returning the refrigerant to the said refrigerant tank.

7. In a selective cooling and heating system for engines, a radiator Water tank, a cooling conduit extending therein, a tank for a liquid refrigerant, means whereby air may be admitted to said refrigerant tank, means for heating the refrigerant tank, the

conduit being in communication at one portion with the said refrigerant tank, and a pump in communication with the conduit at another portion and with the said refrigerant tank. 8. In a system of the class described, a reservoir, a tank, a heating element extending through the tank, a coil within said reservoir, a conducting pipe leading from the tank to one end of the coil, a pump, an intake pipe leading to the pump from the other end of the coil, and a discharge pipe leading from the pump to the tank. In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

HORACE J. PETERSO [L.S.] 

